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| Ulster International rally |
| RALLY NEWS No.1 - Pre Start - Friday @ 13:35:36 |
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RALLY NEWS NO.1 Friday/Antrim
“Hunky Dorey” is how Gareth MacHale described his Ford Focus WRC following a test session earlier this week, Gareth went on to say that he is really looking forward to this Ulster Rally and his ongoing battle with Eugene Donnelly in his Fabia WRC for Tarmac Championship honours. Eugene, a two times Ulster rally winner and four times Tarmac Champion, is also relishing the chance to compete in his nimble Fabia WRC over his ‘home’ stages. Eugene’s only real worry is his back, which has been causing him real pain. He has been attending his physiotherapist every day this week and that hasn’t been great preparation as regards the rally for Eugene, but hopefully it will work out OK.
Eugene starts at No1 with Gareth at 2 and Derek McGarrity at 4 in his Subaru. Tim McNulty was to be at 3, but can’t make it. Behind the three World Rally Cars are the top British Championship contenders, Mark Higgins (Impreza) and Keith Cronin (Lancer). These two are tied at the top of the points and ironically, the way the series is structured, with a bonus on the next and final round in Yorkshire, the outcome of their personal battle here may not be overly crucial at season’s end. Both want to win though!
Running at 5 is another former Ulster Rally winner, Gwyndaf Evans. The Welshman may only make the occasional appearance now in a front running car, but he is just as competitive as ever and it will be interesting indeed to see how he gets on in the new Lancer Evo X, the sister car to David Bogies’. Gwyndaf has been testing the new car and reckons there is still a bit to go in the set-up department.
At 8 is Cookstown man Glenn Allen in his Corolla WRC and he will be looking for a solid result here, especially when the rally moves over to the Sperrins stages outside Draperstown. Darren Gass, with Sean Mullally co-driving, is at 9 in a Pirelli supported Subaru WRC and he could provide plenty of fireworks. Young Alastair Fisher, who has been such a revelation since switching to a Lancer this season, rounds off the top ten.
That’s just a taster of the competition on this Ulster Rally. The entire entry, the International, the Challenge the National, is studded with interesting cars and drivers, all with their own personal goals. The number and variety of championships contained within the overall structure is fairly bewildering.
Just some of them include the Citroen Racing Trophy for C2R2’s which is led by Marty McCormick. The Fiesta Sporting Trophy sees the ‘coming together’ of the UK and Ireland series. Craig Breen is trying to win both. Similarly the Evo Challenge brings together two series from each side of the Irish Sea. Danny Barry has won the UK section, while the Irish Evo series is still wide open, with one the contenders, Liam Egan, making the trip all the way from New York to compete.
Towards the back of the International field is a horde of Suzuki Swifts led by Luke Pinder. Interestingly, Pinder’s co-driver, Peter Scott, won this rally 35 years ago co-driving for Billy Coleman. The rally was called ‘The Starlight’ then. Scott then was Clerk of the Course of the Ulster 28 years ago, so he should know the ropes!
All the various classes should be hotly contested this weekend, none more so than ‘R3’, which features stars such as Finnish driver Matti Rantanen in his Clio Ragnotti and Belgium’s Kris Princen, who is competing here for West Euro Cup points. In the National Rally, Camillus Bradley is the No1 seed in his fabulous Mk2 Escort and Camillus will lead that part of the rally away at 8.0pm over five hours behind the first International car.
Non-starters from the International field, besides Tim McNulty, include John Mulholland and Sarah Moynihan, which should leave around 60 starters. The Challenge section should have 9 starters and the National 57, so about 126 in total. Dave Weston Jnr has 32 on his Impreza but will run in the top 20 and now has Gordon Noble co-driving. Kris Princen has No.19 on his Clio but runs in the mid twenties.
More news later: BRIAN & LIZ PATTERSON www.rallynews.net
For SMS results text RALLY ITC to 53030 (Irl) or 60066 (UK): Text STOP to switch off. Cost 30c/25p. Provided by stagetimes.com
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